Everyone (contemptuously): Try it if you’re not afraid of death…
Then Chang Ge wilted, crawling back in an scene of falling leaves.
[061] Wangzai the Evil
Standing at the bow of the ship with my hands behind my back, I blankly gazed at the beautiful scenery ahead. Sunlight poured down, casting the river in silver brightness. Occasionally, a fish leaped out of the water, creating rippling silver waves.
“The sky is high, letting birds fly freely; the sea is wide, allowing fish to leap.”
“What’s wrong?” Xiao Zi asked, coming to my side.
“Nothing, just a momentary reflection,” I replied. Should I tell him I’m thinking about a fish wanting to imprison love in a golden pool? Breaking up is breaking up; what’s there to be upset about?
So-called attachments are self-imposed. Not wanting him to continue questioning, I looked ahead to change the subject: “Is this where you were searching for someone?”
“Mm.” Xiao Zi also looked into the distance.
“Why didn’t you bring Jing Hao Bai?” Feng Qing Yin had also come over, still holding a playful little fellow. They’d been playing happily the past few days.
“What for?” I smiled faintly, answering with a question.
“Looking for someone?” the boatman asked timidly. His dark reddish soy sauce-colored face suggested he had been rehearsing this for some time.
“Yes, we have friends looking for someone ahead. I’m not sure if they’re still around,” I smiled politely, which made the boatman’s eyes widen in amazement. He stammered that all the boatmen on this waterway knew each other and could easily inquire.
Along the way, he called out and exchanged answers with passing boats. Due to the local dialect, I couldn’t understand much and let them continue their back-and-forth shouting.
I don’t know how many boats we passed, but the boatman’s voice grew hoarse. Watching him row and chat under the sun, sweating profusely, warmed my heart.
“Found them, found them!”
The boatman excitedly shouted at me, then sheepishly scratched his head and laughed bashfully when he realized he was too close.
“Oh?” My eyes lit up. I hadn’t hoped to find them, only planning to confirm at the point of separation that they weren’t there. But unexpectedly, they were found!
